1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a glass run channel for a vehicle, and a glass run channel assembly for a vehicle, which are mounted on a window frame of the vehicle to guide a window pane in a sliding direction and seal a gap between the window pane and the window frame.
2. Description of Related Art
A long glass run channel having an approximately U-character shape in cross section, which is mounted in a groove of the window frame of a vehicle to guide the window pane to be lifted up or down, typically includes a base portion and a pair of side wall portions standing from both ends of the base portion in the width direction. The base portion and the pair of side wall portions form a guide groove having a U-character shape in cross section. Also, the glass run channel includes a contacting lip having a shape extending obliquely from the distal end of each side wall portion to the inside of the guide groove. The glass run channel is elastically deformable as a whole, and typically secured at a predetermined position of the window frame owing to an engagement structure with the window frame and a resilient force of the glass run channel. Though the glass run channel of this kind is conventionally formed of rubber material, it has been proposed to use a thermoplastic elastomer material having a lower specific weight and a better recycling ability is employed as alternative in promoting the lighter weight and recycling of the vehicle (refer to JP-A-2003-175728).